VCDS Ride Height Adjustment
01-11-2013, 05:01 PM
#1
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VCDS Ride Height Adjustment
I've red few instructions but all of them are for ideal case when all is going as planned. Unfortunately it won't go always that way. I will try to give some solutions for those cases. Please fill free to correct me so that we get really useful instruction.
==============================
Factory heights from wheel center to the lower edge of the fender:
Audi A8 D3 standard suspension: 416 mm (front) 398 mm (rear)
To lower or raise it using VCDS:
[Select]
[34 - Level Control]
[Coding - 10]
Stock code is: 0015510 Ride height can be adjusted by changing those 5's. The first one is for the front and the second one for the rear. 4 - 0 will set lower ride for 5 - 25 mm (5 mm per digit). 6 - 9 will set higher ride for 5 - 20 mm. This will change all MMI settings for the same amount. Make your choice than:
[Do It]
To complete this change:
Car on a flat surface, transmission in park, engine running and all doors closed.
Measure in millimeters actual heights from wheel center to the lower edge of the fender and record them:
[Select]
[34 - Level Control]
[Security Access - 16]
Enter 31564
[Do It!]
[Adaption - 10]
Wait until car goes down and up and you get Ready message.
Under Stored Value you will actually have TARGET value. For stock height fronts will always be 416 and rears 398. If you changed those 5's to 4's you will have there 411 and 393 respectively. 3's will give you 406 and 388, 2's 401 and 383, 1's 396 and 378 and finally 0's 391 and 373.
Channel 01 (front left)
Enter the measured value.
[Test]
Unfortunately it won't always accept that value. If you get INVALID message go channel up and back down using arrows and enter value somewhere in between measured and target values. Try first closest to the measured value and repeat until you get VALID message.
[Save]
Repeat this procedure for the rest of wheels. Channel 02 is front right, channel 03 rear left, channel 04 rear right.
Channel 05 (Save)
Key in: 1
[Test]
[Save]
[Done, Go Back]
If it didn't accept real measured values drive around the block and repeat Adaptation. You can do it few times to get it as close to target heights as possible. There is no point to go with fine tuning better than 2 mm.
Furthermore, it is your car and you are allowed to cheat a bit. By entering higher numbers (not more than a few millimeters) you can lower it exactly where you want it. For example: if Recorded Value is 391 and you key in 394 it will go 3 mm down. Of course if that value is VALID.
==============================
Factory heights from wheel center to the lower edge of the fender:
Audi A8 D3 standard suspension: 416 mm (front) 398 mm (rear)
To lower or raise it using VCDS:
[Select]
[34 - Level Control]
[Coding - 10]
Stock code is: 0015510 Ride height can be adjusted by changing those 5's. The first one is for the front and the second one for the rear. 4 - 0 will set lower ride for 5 - 25 mm (5 mm per digit). 6 - 9 will set higher ride for 5 - 20 mm. This will change all MMI settings for the same amount. Make your choice than:
[Do It]
To complete this change:
Car on a flat surface, transmission in park, engine running and all doors closed.
Measure in millimeters actual heights from wheel center to the lower edge of the fender and record them:
[Select]
[34 - Level Control]
[Security Access - 16]
Enter 31564
[Do It!]
[Adaption - 10]
Wait until car goes down and up and you get Ready message.
Under Stored Value you will actually have TARGET value. For stock height fronts will always be 416 and rears 398. If you changed those 5's to 4's you will have there 411 and 393 respectively. 3's will give you 406 and 388, 2's 401 and 383, 1's 396 and 378 and finally 0's 391 and 373.
Channel 01 (front left)
Enter the measured value.
[Test]
Unfortunately it won't always accept that value. If you get INVALID message go channel up and back down using arrows and enter value somewhere in between measured and target values. Try first closest to the measured value and repeat until you get VALID message.
[Save]
Repeat this procedure for the rest of wheels. Channel 02 is front right, channel 03 rear left, channel 04 rear right.
Channel 05 (Save)
Key in: 1
[Test]
[Save]
[Done, Go Back]
If it didn't accept real measured values drive around the block and repeat Adaptation. You can do it few times to get it as close to target heights as possible. There is no point to go with fine tuning better than 2 mm.
Furthermore, it is your car and you are allowed to cheat a bit. By entering higher numbers (not more than a few millimeters) you can lower it exactly where you want it. For example: if Recorded Value is 391 and you key in 394 it will go 3 mm down. Of course if that value is VALID.
Last edited by mishar; 07-10-2016 at 09:55 PM.
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RonniePage (02-10-2023)
01-12-2013, 08:52 AM
#2
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So, really good news. My Fiance figured out what we were doing wrong. Maybe something you could add to this awesome write up?
When we measured the distance. It was lets say... on channel 01, stored value of 406. Our measured value was 444 mm. If we entered in something MORE than 20 mm of difference from the stored value it would never work. So 426 works. but 427 wouldn't. I seen this is actually not true for all vag com. But maybe a feature of the newest software. So going up in increments of 20 worked for us. If you get stuck with invalid always, try that.
Whenever we would see invalid for a channel, even if our measurement was in the 20mm butter zone. If he grabbed the fender and pulled and wiggled the car. The invalid would turn to valid. (it said this on ross tech's site also, but never worked because we were in that above 20mm zone)
We also noticed that the program would "seize" up after doing the leveling. (the part right where you go to channel 01) If it does you can actually just click read on the channel 01. Or better yet close the adaption and re open it. Finally you could also just go up a channel or down. I tested it to see if it would go through. It will even if you close the adaption and need to reopen it. All three methods worked.
Finally, if the save button is not there. Sometimes after testing it wont appear. Rocking the car a bit helped there also.
Lastly. If channel 05 is saying error after everything seems to of gone smooth. Turn the car off, and restart the VCDS. It seems that sometimes, you can get stacks of previous adaptions built up. What happens is your car thinks you are attempting to finish a previous adaption, when you restart the adaption process right away after a previously failed attempt. So turn the car off and restart the vcds and start fresh.
Thank you Mishar, for all your help. The Amber light is still on, it keeps going on and off. I think after a few drives I will readapt it and hope for the best. But now I can faithfully say the car is 100% all set. There's not one fault code to be found, aside from the two that are of no worry to me.
When we measured the distance. It was lets say... on channel 01, stored value of 406. Our measured value was 444 mm. If we entered in something MORE than 20 mm of difference from the stored value it would never work. So 426 works. but 427 wouldn't. I seen this is actually not true for all vag com. But maybe a feature of the newest software. So going up in increments of 20 worked for us. If you get stuck with invalid always, try that.
Whenever we would see invalid for a channel, even if our measurement was in the 20mm butter zone. If he grabbed the fender and pulled and wiggled the car. The invalid would turn to valid. (it said this on ross tech's site also, but never worked because we were in that above 20mm zone)
We also noticed that the program would "seize" up after doing the leveling. (the part right where you go to channel 01) If it does you can actually just click read on the channel 01. Or better yet close the adaption and re open it. Finally you could also just go up a channel or down. I tested it to see if it would go through. It will even if you close the adaption and need to reopen it. All three methods worked.
Finally, if the save button is not there. Sometimes after testing it wont appear. Rocking the car a bit helped there also.
Lastly. If channel 05 is saying error after everything seems to of gone smooth. Turn the car off, and restart the VCDS. It seems that sometimes, you can get stacks of previous adaptions built up. What happens is your car thinks you are attempting to finish a previous adaption, when you restart the adaption process right away after a previously failed attempt. So turn the car off and restart the vcds and start fresh.
Thank you Mishar, for all your help. The Amber light is still on, it keeps going on and off. I think after a few drives I will readapt it and hope for the best. But now I can faithfully say the car is 100% all set. There's not one fault code to be found, aside from the two that are of no worry to me.
01-12-2013, 09:34 AM
#3
AudiWorld Super User
Thread Starter
I am glad that you managed it. Somebody tried to lower your car for 10 mm (at least front) but adaptation failed, I believe more than once, so it was actually lifted for 28 mm. That was off road height, I guess as ugly as it can be. I am not sure what exactly you did since you are writing here and your fiance is dealing with VCDS. 
I believe you need to do it once more in order to get everything perfect. But now it is easy.
I wouldn't recommend shaking car. That's actually best way to save INVALID value since it can change at the moment of saving. That would cause problem with saving too. It is better to go another millimeter lower/higher and have a steady VALID.
I would also stick to only one method of enabling reentering measurements. Just to keep it simple.
Your 20 mm experience would not work for everybody. Sometimes it can be only a few millimeters. Most people wouldn't have that huge discrepancy between saved (target) and measured value.
And last, but most certainly not the least, your car is now much lower, so be careful with clearance. Especially if it is A8L.
I believe you need to do it once more in order to get everything perfect. But now it is easy.I wouldn't recommend shaking car. That's actually best way to save INVALID value since it can change at the moment of saving. That would cause problem with saving too. It is better to go another millimeter lower/higher and have a steady VALID.
I would also stick to only one method of enabling reentering measurements. Just to keep it simple.
Your 20 mm experience would not work for everybody. Sometimes it can be only a few millimeters. Most people wouldn't have that huge discrepancy between saved (target) and measured value.
And last, but most certainly not the least, your car is now much lower, so be careful with clearance. Especially if it is A8L.
Last edited by mishar; 01-12-2013 at 09:37 AM.
08-30-2013, 03:50 PM
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Well, I tried all as described this evening. I kept getting stuck on the 4th input (R.R.) would not accept any value at least 5mm in either direction.
Since this is an S I changed the coding to 1010010, then I had values of 371 for the fronts, which I then measured at 375 and inputted those numbers. The rears were coming in at 353 if remember, and damniti forgot what I inputted. Finished with a valid number. Save, go back....The car moved around and adjusted itself. I reached inside, adjusted the mmi to "lift" which it did, then back down to "dynamic" and it lowered. Looks about the same as when I started. Whats going on here?
Since this is an S I changed the coding to 1010010, then I had values of 371 for the fronts, which I then measured at 375 and inputted those numbers. The rears were coming in at 353 if remember, and damniti forgot what I inputted. Finished with a valid number. Save, go back....The car moved around and adjusted itself. I reached inside, adjusted the mmi to "lift" which it did, then back down to "dynamic" and it lowered. Looks about the same as when I started. Whats going on here?
08-30-2013, 04:58 PM
#5
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Thread Starter
If you changed coding 55 to 00 in adaptation you should get 391 fronts and 373 rears.
Last edited by mishar; 08-31-2013 at 07:08 AM.
08-30-2013, 05:22 PM
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That's why I'm a bit confused now. It is nighttime and too dark now. I'll give it a drive around, reevaluate and continue tomorrow. Vag-com is brand new to me and I've been reading up on this for 3 days. I still can't figure out how to mess with the key fob window/sunroof/trunk closing settings. Ugh.
08-31-2013, 05:46 AM
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I played around with it a bit this morning. Ended up using a 0013310 for coding and the adaptation codes came in at 386/368. I measured and inputted 396/376. Went through perfectly, all valid numbers, saved in 5. Done. Car readjusted and settled in lower. Rear wheels set pretty nice, the fronts I may want to bring a smidge lower. I think I was just going to aggressive and the car didn't want to do it. 
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08-31-2013, 07:18 AM
#8
AudiWorld Super User
Thread Starter
Sorry, I missed that it is S8, so sport suspension 20 mm lower stock. So all numbers are that much lower.
You can go as aggressive as you want. Just cheat a bit with measured numbers. Actually you need measurement for orientation, but if you punch in 2 mm higher than saved value it will go 2 mm down. I didn't try but I believe it will go to the floor if you keep doing that enough times.
You can go as aggressive as you want. Just cheat a bit with measured numbers. Actually you need measurement for orientation, but if you punch in 2 mm higher than saved value it will go 2 mm down. I didn't try but I believe it will go to the floor if you keep doing that enough times.
09-01-2013, 02:45 PM
#10
My car has the sport suspension - will I still be starting with 0015510? or will it already be at 0011110?
Also, as far as measuring wheel centre to arch lip, I'm running +25mm od oversized wheels so do I need to take 12.5mm off my numbers before inputting into VCDS?
Looking to do it on a friends VCDS any day soon so want to be prepared.
Thanks.
Also, as far as measuring wheel centre to arch lip, I'm running +25mm od oversized wheels so do I need to take 12.5mm off my numbers before inputting into VCDS?
Looking to do it on a friends VCDS any day soon so want to be prepared.
Thanks.
